InDesignSecretsZanelli Releases MultiPageImporter for Importing both PDF and INDD Files
Well, it’s time yet again for another episode of “cool (and free!) scripts that can save you bundles of time and energy.” At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post about Scott Zanelli’s PDFplacer script, which places each page of a PDF on to a different page of your InDesign document. That’s pretty cool, but within an hour, someone replied asking for more: The ability to import InDesign documents in the same way… then other folks asked for more features, too.
Scott, recently graduated and with too much time on his hands, complied. The new version of the script works with both PDF and INDD files. It’s also renamed MultiPageImporter. You can download it here:
Original version from March, 2009, for CS4
Newer version (2.5), from March, 2010
Newest version (for CS5) from December 2010
There are detailed instructions in the folder (after it is unzipped).
Here’s a screen capture of the import dialog box:
But here’s my question: Why do you want to import all the pages of one InDesign document into another? How are you using this script to make your life easier? Just curious.
Fighters are saved by the bell but I have been saved by this script!!
this script worked great for ne (InDesign CS4), but had some quality issues with the imported PDF.
the 198page PDF is hi-res output, but when imported into InDesign it is very low quality and all text and images are very pixellated.
Anyone else have this issue?
THANKS A LOT!
Worked perfectly and easy!
I needed to place 150 pages due to some font problem. I’d be inhuman to do it 1 by 1.
David thank you, thank you….
What a life saver for me – This Script was soooo needed useful. I wish I could have helped in some way to develop this utility because I have wanted this functionality for several years. Let me tell you why.
I have somehow gotten into scanning old handwritten journals. The latest one was a 50 year old journal written in blue ink – I had to contrast-levels adjust every scanned page and make edits to smudges, etc. Needless to say the 400 pages took me over two months to scan and I was so wanting to be done with it! The last thing I wanted to do was place every page individually into an Indesign document, Yet I had to add space for binding margins and a comfortable trim edge.
The Multi-Page Importer was the time saver I needed. The problem I ran into while using it was that when clinking the option to center each PDF on the page it only centered top-to-bottom aligning to the very left edge of the page. This was of course remedy by using the offset X and Y. Maybe this issue has been addressed and I have not red about it in the lengthy blog. Anyway the job was made some easy with this script.
Thanks so much for sharing your intelligence with the rest of the common world.
Thank you SO much for this! It reminds me of some of the functionality I once had with a PDF page-imposition application called Quite Imposing. I loved that program, but it’s a costly one to procure. Your script did the trick for me! I needed to import a multi-page PDF into InDesign that would then share the same master page among all of them. This spared me quite a bit of time. Thank you for your wonderful contribution!
Hello,
Found this script very useful.
My workflow is :
* I have jpeg files (mostly 100+).
* They are the size of 2 page (1 spread per file)
* I need to place them on either even or odd page (aligned Top-Left).
Currently I’m doing this work manually.
Need help to automate this.
Thanks and regards.
I unzipped the folder but only see the the .jsx file…where are the instructions?
Brilliant! This works in InDesign CS6 too. I just had to copy the unzipped .jsx file into my User scripts folder.
I used it to import a PDF into InDesign so I could add some header/footer information to a third party PDF.
Will not allow me to place only a certain number of pages. It says “PDF pages could not be counted all pages will be placed,” or something like that. But then about 325 pages into a 646 page document it crashes… but since I cant start on a certain page of the PDF I have to start over again. Looks like Im back to doing it all manually *click click click click click.* Any suggestions?
Thanks Colin.
It looks like I wasn’t clear with my idea.
I do know that it adds its own pages… but that is only if there aren’t any afterwards.
But lets say I am on page 22 of a 100 page document and I want to add a 3 page doc. after page 22. This script will place the new doc on top of page 22,23,24.
What I was suggesting was that in such a circumstance, the script should ask if you would like to insert pages or place atop the current ones (which itself is very useful many times)
Thanks again,
David
P.S. regarding the page#, I did change the script already. I would put it up here to share it, but I don’t know how!
@Davey
I too have used this script for ages, it is a fantastic script and am surprised that the default for placing PDFs isn’t as good as this script.
Nevertheless, there is no need to add pages to your file prior to running the script – as the placer puts the PDFs in, it automatically generates new pages if they aren’t there already.
Also, the script hasn’t been compiled (can still be edited in textedit etc) and there are instruction lines throughout the script so it is still possible to customize this script.
There was one more feature that would be great to include:
When importing a file in the middle of a document, the script can give an option whether to add pages for the import, or to import over the existing pages.
This will greatly enhance the script,
avoiding the need to count the amount of pages you are adding, and actually adding them into your file.
Thanks again for the great script!
Davey
This script is great,
I use it a ton because I am always combining PDF files into Indesign.
There is 1 comment I have which I think would be a great improvement if it is fixed:
The script by default always places the file starting from the first page.
It would be much more convenient if the script would place it on the ‘current’ page by default (the same way the place tool of the program works), and then if one wishes to change it, he can.
Thanks!
@Samantha: Importing InDesign or PDF files into another InDesign file treats them as graphics, so they are not editable. You can use PDF2ID from recosoft.com to convert PDF files into editable objects; or the free layoutzone from automatication.com to convert placed InDesign files into editable InDesign files.
This script is very close to what i was looking for, but
the indesign files that imported aren’t editable. Am i doing something wrong or is that how the files get placed?
The Newest Version Listed as “Newest version (for CS5) from December 2010″ worked well on the Mac Version of InDesign CS6. FYI
Thanks for the script! It works much better than the one CS5.5 comes with.
@Alastair: You can see how to install scripts into the scripts panel here: http://indesignsecrets.com/how-to-install-scripts-in-indesign.php
The best method is to right-click on the folder in the Scripts panel and choose Open.
But the fact that you found the same script in the Sample folder confuses me. InDesign’s samples folder ships with one called PlaceMultipagePDF, but that’s not as powerful as MultipageImporter. But if it works for you, then great!
Actual it says
Error Number: 55
Error String: Object does not support the property or method ‘cropContent’.
Script runs from Scripts Panel and errors on same line.
“PDFcrop is undefined.”
Line 124: var cropTypes = [PDFCrop.cropArt, PDFCrop.cropPDF, PDFCrop.cropTrim, PDFCrop.cropBleed, PDFCrop.cropMedia];
Thanks Jongware. That name is familiar from somewhere, Apple forums maybe?
I knew there was another ~/Library/ directory I need to look in not App. Support but Preferences – of course.
Thanks for pointer on version numbers, forgot that.
@Alastair: if the script doesn’t show up in the Scripts panel you must be placing it in a wrong location. Try step 4 of How to Install a Script in InDesign ...
(The version stuff you were wondering about is because Adobe restarted numbering with InDesign CS, which followed InDesign 2.0. Internally, your version 6.0 is numbered 8.0, as you can see in the small print in your About InDesign dialog.)
I just found the default install sample script (Applescript) of same name and it ran fine. I’m wondering why I got errors from running it in ExtendScript Toolkit?
Oh I miss read that first error it’s the line 39 following that if statement which is just telling me I’m on a recent (>= 3) version of ID (thanks? for telling me).
exit(-1);
error: exit is not a function.
commented out the line.
next error is more serious
PDFcrop is undefined. Am I lacking the ID application context that defines (declares) this variable? Is this because I’m running the script from ExtendScript Toolkit not from inside ID?
Guess I need to know how to get a script into the palette if that’s the case.
I copied the script into ID scripts folder at same level as the “Indic Preferences.js” script and restated ID (just in case) but it didn’t show up. Know palette menu item to add a script. What to do…?
Yes I am using the “newest” script. I can’t find a way to get it into InDesigns Scripts Palette which is a drag so I’m just running it from ExtendScript Toolkit.app.
First error is line 31:
if(appVersion >= 5)
I’m getting a falsely evaluation and the dialogue that says “Features used in this script will only work in InDesign CS3 or later.”
I don’t even know what that line is doing there if this is for ID5?!
Next Line to error after I clear error is line 124:
var cropTypes = [PDFCrop.cropContent, PDFCrop.cropArt, PDFCrop.cropPDF, PDFCrop.cropTrim, PDFCrop.cropBleed, PDFCrop.cropMedia];
error: PDF crop is undefined.
It’s an output from an Powerpoint file and I didn’t create the PDF, nor can replicated even though I have the PPT file I can’t Print it as PDF on the correct page size. I hate PPT with a small passion.
I’ll try another file wouldn’t surprise me in slightest if MS PPT made a bad PDF file.
@Alastair: Can you describe the errors you’re getting? I’m running this in CS6 and it seems to work fine! (Make sure you’re using the latest version above.)
Hi There Scott
Any chance of a CS6 iteration
?
A few runtime errors in CS6 and no other installs on this Mac.
Cheers
Alastair
Thanks for share, you saved my life body
Does anyone know how to make this script work in CS6? I only get an error at the moment…
I have a 60 page book (indb) file that I now want to print to booklet. I have followed all the advice above. Works wonderfully BUT I cannot place spreads. The mpi looks at each page as a single page. When I try to place single pages (vs spreads) Acrobat ads a bleed to the inside (spine) causing overlap, even though I set it up with no “inside” bleed. There is a lot of crossover this magazine. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.
@Daniel:
Check out this adobe forum thread to add an empty page for every second page:
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2310029
Hi,
Just tested it and it worked great in ID CS5!!!
Is there a way to have it insert the pdfs on the even pages only? Or maybe there’s a way to make InDesign add an empty page between each imported pdf?
All the very best ,
Daniel
Is there a way to get this to work with importing illustrator files (with bleeds)?
The default import scripts work fine if there is no bleed, however, there are no options for alignment, which forces the bleed to align to the artboard.
I’m importing hundreds of Korean Docs that came in as PDF’s and needed to be aligned a certain way. Can’t tell you how much time this script saved. Thank you.